Customers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), on Tuesday, in Lagos, urged the Federal Government to work towards achieving stable power supply in the country before embarking on tariff reduction.

The customers told The Tide that government should tackle power generation and distribution before talking of effecting a reduction in tariff.

The Presidential Task Force on Power, had on Sunday, said that reduced electricity tariffs would be announced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in April.

A statement signed by Head, Media and Communications of the Task Force, Mr Abimbola Agboluaje, on Sunday, stated that the new tariff would reduce the cost of electricity by 65 per cent.

“The poorest Nigerians pay more than N80 per kwh, burning candles, kerosene and firewood while the majority of Nigerians pay N50 to N70 per Kwh on generators and manufacturers pay between N45 and N60 per kwh on diesel or LPFO generation, using larger generators,” the statement noted.

In his reaction, Managing Director, Folly-Dee Frozen Foods, Lagos, Alhaja Folami Adisa, said that what the nation needed at the moment was constant power supply and not a reduction in electricity tariff.

Adisa said that many companies had relocated due to erratic power supply, adding: “Even at the moment, if the cost of electricity goes up by 100 per cent, many Nigerians will be willing to pay, provided electricity is constant.

“We were told that the power sector reform will commence late last year, but nothing reasonable has come out of it. Nigerians are tired of promises, what we need now is reality,” she said.

A civil servant, Mr. Francis Andrew, said that government should take the implementation of its policies one after the other, rather than place so much on ground and achieving nothing.

Andrew said that government should look inward in solving the problems in the power sector before embarking on tariff reduction.

“You cannot reduce tariff when there is no supply, government should tackle electricity stability first. What we need now is more actions,” he said.

Also, a consultant, Mr. Ambrose Francis, said that it was a good decision for the government to consider reduction of electricity tariff, adding that Nigerians were paying high rate on electricity consumption.

Francis said that a lot of PHCN billings were faulty, saying that it should be corrected first before the commencement of the privatisation programme.

“We should all support the government’s innovations. Let’s support the government to achieve this laudable plan by April,” he said.

In her comment, Mrs. Florence Odumosu, hairdresser, said that reduction in tariff would attract private electricity companies to invest in the power sector with good rates.

Odumosu said that this was the only condition advanced by the private companies to enable them invest in the sector.

“Let there be constant supply before talking about reduction in tariff. The general cost of electricity will reduce if there is constant power supply.

“One will spend less on buying petrol, kerosene, candles and diesel,” she said.